Mark DeRosa
Encyclopedia
Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball
player. DeRosa is a utility player
who has been primarily a second baseman
, but can play other positions, including the outfield
; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs
. He bats right-handed.
DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves
in the 7th round of the June 1996 free agent
draft. In his 3,165 career at bat
s through 2009, he had a .275 batting average
, 92 home run
s, 869 hits
, 484 run
s, and 430 RBIs
.
in Oradell, New Jersey
where he earned all-state honors in baseball and in football.
He graduated from the Wharton School
of the University of Pennsylvania
in the class of 1997, where he started at quarterback in the 1993-95 seasons and played varsity baseball from 1994 to 1996. He was originally pledging The Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity when their charter was revoked. This resulted in his pledging the Sigma Chi
Fraternity and in 2009 he was honored by being named a Significant Sig., an award given to Sigma Chis who have achieved distinction in their professional fields of endeavor. DeRosa was also one of six Ivy Leaguers on major league rosters at the beginning of the 2009 season.
in the 7th round (212th overall) of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft
. He made his MLB debut on September 2, 1998 as a shortstop. From 1998 through 2001, DeRosa spent much of his time as a backup utility player, playing both infield
and outfield
. In 2002, though still playing as a backup, DeRosa was starting to play more and more, and enjoyed a successful batting average
of .297.
DeRosa started the 2004 season as the starting third baseman for the Braves
. He had been strictly a backup the previous bunch of years, but the departure of Vinny Castilla
opened the spot for him. His performance as a starter was widely considered unacceptable. DeRosa himself spoke openly of his poor performance, declaring in one interview that even his mother could not tell him she thought he was playing well. After about a month, DeRosa was demoted back to a backup. Chipper Jones
moved from left field to third base, where he had played his whole career until 2002. Jones was replaced in left field by a platoon of Charles Thomas
, an unknown rookie, and Eli Marrero
, a fairly obscure catcher/outfielder who was considered the much less important half of the trade in which the Braves
acquired him and J. D. Drew
for pitchers Jason Marquis
, Ray King
, and Adam Wainwright
. At the end of 2004, the Braves declined to offer DeRosa a contract for the 2005 season.
. He logged little playing time due to injuries in 2005 which delayed him from playing in the starting lineup. Finally healthy in May 2006, he received the opportunity to start. DeRosa responded to this by hitting well over .300 for the first half of the season. At season's end, he topped his career high in RBI with 74, eclipsing his previous career high of 31. DeRosa also set a career high in home runs, with 13, and batted a respectable .296. He set a career high with getting 40 double
s.
. DeRosa's signing was one of several off-season acquisitions by the Cubs in their spending spree. He was a pleasant surprise at the plate in 2007, his first year with the Cubs. He appeared in 149 games for the Cubs, with the majority of his time at second base, but filling in at times all over the field. DeRosa batted .293 with 10 home runs and 74 RBIs
. DeRosa on February 23, 2008, was taken to a hospital after having trouble breathing and having a rapid heart beat.
On February 28, 2008, DeRosa had a successful heart procedure at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
to correct an irregular heartbeat. His heart procedure earned him the nickname of "the Pulse", which was also the name of his blog on www.cubs.com.
DeRosa had a very successful 2008 season, where he helped the Cubs to the best record in the National League
. He had career highs in home runs with 21 and RBIs with 87.
for minor league pitchers Jeff Stevens
, Chris Archer, and John Gaub
. Playing third base for the Indians, DeRosa collected his first hit with the Tribe on April 10 and his first Home Run on April 12. In addition to playing 3rd base for the Indians, he also spent time at first base and in the outfield. Many early-season injuries to Indians regulars caused DeRosa to be moved around the field and the batting order throughout the season. In spite of this, he was on pace to make 2009 his most productive season yet.
He received a standing ovation from Cubs fans when the Cleveland Indians played at Wrigley Field
on June 19. The fans applauded him, an opposing player, in an at-bat against their home team in a tie game.
and Jess Todd
. He spent some time on the disabled list with a wrist injury, and underwent surgery on October 26 to repair a torn tendon sheath
. DeRosa filed for free agency for the 2010 season, turning down the Cardinals' offer of salary arbitration.
.
At the beginning of the 2010 season, DeRosa immediately went into a prolonged slump, batting only .194 in his first 26 games, with only four extra base hits and 10 RBIs. Experiencing numbness in the fingers of his left hand, he underwent a medical examination on May 11, 2010, and found that the wrist surgery in 2009 had been a "total failure". On June 22, 2010, Giants officially announced DeRosa incurred a season ending surgery. Despite his wrist, the Giants went on to win the World Series that year.
DeRosa began the 2011 season reportedly healthy and ready to make an impact on the field. However, on May 18, 2011, he reinjured his surgically repaired left wrist on a checked swing so badly that many speculated his career was over. But DeRosa, who had torn a wrist tendon on that checked swing, reworked his swing to become more of a singles hitter and returned to the Giants on August 4, 2011, after a rehab assignment with the San Jose Giants
and the Fresno Grizzlies
.
Through October 24, 2010
. After signing a 2 year contract with the San Francisco Giants
, DeRosa moved to Hillsborough, CA
, and currently resides there.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. DeRosa is a utility player
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
who has been primarily a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
, but can play other positions, including the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. He bats right-handed.
DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in the 7th round of the June 1996 free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
draft. In his 3,165 career at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s through 2009, he had a .275 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, 92 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 869 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 484 run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
s, and 430 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
.
High school and college
DeRosa was born in Passaic, New Jersey. He attended Bergen Catholic High SchoolBergen Catholic High School
Bergen Catholic High School is an all-male Roman Catholic high school in Oradell, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade...
in Oradell, New Jersey
Oradell, New Jersey
Oradell is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,978. The borough's territory includes a dam on the Hackensack River that forms the Oradell Reservoir...
where he earned all-state honors in baseball and in football.
He graduated from the Wharton School
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wharton was the world’s first collegiate business school and the first business school in the United States...
of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in the class of 1997, where he started at quarterback in the 1993-95 seasons and played varsity baseball from 1994 to 1996. He was originally pledging The Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity when their charter was revoked. This resulted in his pledging the Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
Fraternity and in 2009 he was honored by being named a Significant Sig., an award given to Sigma Chis who have achieved distinction in their professional fields of endeavor. DeRosa was also one of six Ivy Leaguers on major league rosters at the beginning of the 2009 season.
Atlanta Braves
DeRosa was drafted by the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in the 7th round (212th overall) of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft
1996 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1996 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 4 and 5, 1996...
. He made his MLB debut on September 2, 1998 as a shortstop. From 1998 through 2001, DeRosa spent much of his time as a backup utility player, playing both infield
Infield
Infield is a widely used term in sports terminology, its meaning depends on the sport in which it is used.- In baseball :In baseball the baseball diamond plus a region beyond it , has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-covered outfield...
and outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
. In 2002, though still playing as a backup, DeRosa was starting to play more and more, and enjoyed a successful batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .297.
DeRosa started the 2004 season as the starting third baseman for the Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. He had been strictly a backup the previous bunch of years, but the departure of Vinny Castilla
Vinny Castilla
Vinicio "Vinny" Castilla Soria is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who played his best years with the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves...
opened the spot for him. His performance as a starter was widely considered unacceptable. DeRosa himself spoke openly of his poor performance, declaring in one interview that even his mother could not tell him she thought he was playing well. After about a month, DeRosa was demoted back to a backup. Chipper Jones
Chipper Jones
Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. is a Major League baseball player for the National League's Atlanta Braves. Although initially a shortstop, he has spent most of his career as the starting third baseman for the Braves...
moved from left field to third base, where he had played his whole career until 2002. Jones was replaced in left field by a platoon of Charles Thomas
Charles Thomas (baseball)
Charles Wesley Thomas is a left fielder in Major League Baseball. He last played in the Milwaukee Brewers organization with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. Previously, Thomas played with the Atlanta Braves , and Oakland Athletics...
, an unknown rookie, and Eli Marrero
Eli Marrero
Elieser Marrero , is a former Major League Baseball player. Marrero started his career as a catcher, but spent time at first base, third base and in the outfield....
, a fairly obscure catcher/outfielder who was considered the much less important half of the trade in which the Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
acquired him and J. D. Drew
J. D. Drew
David Jonathan "J. D." Drew is an American professional baseball right fielder who is a free agent. He is a left-handed hitter, and began his major league career in with the St. Louis Cardinals...
for pitchers Jason Marquis
Jason Marquis
Jason Scott Marquis is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously pitched for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks....
, Ray King
Ray King
Raymond Keith King is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher. King stands at 6'0" tall and weighs 265 pounds. Because of his large size, former Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog playfully referred to King as The Hefty Lefty...
, and Adam Wainwright
Adam Wainwright
Adam Parrish Wainwright is a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted 29th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 amateur draft. He made his major league debut for the St...
. At the end of 2004, the Braves declined to offer DeRosa a contract for the 2005 season.
Texas Rangers
After the Braves declined to offer DeRosa a contract, he signed with the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. He logged little playing time due to injuries in 2005 which delayed him from playing in the starting lineup. Finally healthy in May 2006, he received the opportunity to start. DeRosa responded to this by hitting well over .300 for the first half of the season. At season's end, he topped his career high in RBI with 74, eclipsing his previous career high of 31. DeRosa also set a career high in home runs, with 13, and batted a respectable .296. He set a career high with getting 40 double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
s.
Chicago Cubs
On November 14, 2006 he signed a three-year, $13 million contract with the Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. DeRosa's signing was one of several off-season acquisitions by the Cubs in their spending spree. He was a pleasant surprise at the plate in 2007, his first year with the Cubs. He appeared in 149 games for the Cubs, with the majority of his time at second base, but filling in at times all over the field. DeRosa batted .293 with 10 home runs and 74 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. DeRosa on February 23, 2008, was taken to a hospital after having trouble breathing and having a rapid heart beat.
On February 28, 2008, DeRosa had a successful heart procedure at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the nation's preeminent academic medical centers and is the primary teaching hospital for Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. It is the second tallest hospital in the United States and the fourth tallest hospital in the world...
to correct an irregular heartbeat. His heart procedure earned him the nickname of "the Pulse", which was also the name of his blog on www.cubs.com.
DeRosa had a very successful 2008 season, where he helped the Cubs to the best record in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. He had career highs in home runs with 21 and RBIs with 87.
Cleveland Indians
On December 31, 2008, DeRosa was traded to the Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for minor league pitchers Jeff Stevens
Jeff Stevens
Jeffrey Allen Stevens is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. He was originally selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft...
, Chris Archer, and John Gaub
John Gaub
John David Gaub is a minor league baseball relief pitcher currently on the Chicago Cubs.Prior to playing professional baseball, Gaub attended South St. Paul High School and then the University of Minnesota...
. Playing third base for the Indians, DeRosa collected his first hit with the Tribe on April 10 and his first Home Run on April 12. In addition to playing 3rd base for the Indians, he also spent time at first base and in the outfield. Many early-season injuries to Indians regulars caused DeRosa to be moved around the field and the batting order throughout the season. In spite of this, he was on pace to make 2009 his most productive season yet.
He received a standing ovation from Cubs fans when the Cleveland Indians played at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
on June 19. The fans applauded him, an opposing player, in an at-bat against their home team in a tie game.
St. Louis Cardinals
On June 27, 2009, DeRosa was traded by Cleveland to the Cardinals for relief pitchers Chris PerezChris Perez (baseball)
Christopher Ralph Perez is a right-handed relief pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. His pitches have been clocked at 98 mph on the radar gun. He is 6' 4", 225 lbs. In 2010, fans began referring to him by the nickname "Pure Rage."Perez grew up on Anna Maria Island in Florida. Perez...
and Jess Todd
Jess Todd
Jesse Ray Todd is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. From the University of Arkansas, he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in second round of the 2007 amateur entry draft...
. He spent some time on the disabled list with a wrist injury, and underwent surgery on October 26 to repair a torn tendon sheath
Tendon sheath
A tendon sheath is a layer of membrane around a tendon. It permits the tendon to move.It has two layers:* synovial sheath* fibrous tendon sheathFibroma of the tendon sheath has been described....
. DeRosa filed for free agency for the 2010 season, turning down the Cardinals' offer of salary arbitration.
San Francisco Giants
On December 29, 2009, DeRosa signed a 2 year $12 million contract with the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
At the beginning of the 2010 season, DeRosa immediately went into a prolonged slump, batting only .194 in his first 26 games, with only four extra base hits and 10 RBIs. Experiencing numbness in the fingers of his left hand, he underwent a medical examination on May 11, 2010, and found that the wrist surgery in 2009 had been a "total failure". On June 22, 2010, Giants officially announced DeRosa incurred a season ending surgery. Despite his wrist, the Giants went on to win the World Series that year.
DeRosa began the 2011 season reportedly healthy and ready to make an impact on the field. However, on May 18, 2011, he reinjured his surgically repaired left wrist on a checked swing so badly that many speculated his career was over. But DeRosa, who had torn a wrist tendon on that checked swing, reworked his swing to become more of a singles hitter and returned to the Giants on August 4, 2011, after a rehab assignment with the San Jose Giants
San Jose Giants
The San Jose Giants are a minor league baseball team in San Jose, California, USA. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the Northern Division of the California League, and have been a farm team of the San Francisco Giants since 1988. Home games are played at San Jose Municipal Stadium...
and the Fresno Grizzlies
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
.
Career statistics
| G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | TB | RBI | SB | CS | SH | SF | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1058 | 3660 | 3258 | 493 | 887 | 177 | 11 | 93 | 1365 | 440 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 31 | 308 | 16 | 49 | 622 | 81 | .272 | .341 | .419 | .760 |
Through October 24, 2010
Personal life
DeRosa is married to former model Heidi Miller, with whom he has a daughter, Gabriella Faith and a son, Jr. DeRosa that they raised in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. After signing a 2 year contract with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, DeRosa moved to Hillsborough, CA
Hillsborough, California
Hillsborough is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hillsborough is one of the wealthiest communities in America and has the highest income of places in the United States with populations of at least 10,000...
, and currently resides there.
External links
- Mark DeRosa website
- Official blog
- "The Pulse" at MLBlogs.com